The door on a dock position, a drive-in bay or an underground parking entrance is a piece of equipment that cycles thousands of times a year. Pick the wrong type and it either fails early or costs more than it should to run. This guide covers the types of commercial overhead doors in common use across Ontario, where each one fits, and the questions that lead to the right specification.
Sectional doors
Horizontal sections hinged together, running on tracks up the wall and back along the ceiling. This is the most common commercial overhead door and the standard on most dock positions.
- Insulated sections in a range of R-values for temperature-controlled buildings
- Steel, aluminum and glazed section options
- Available with spring and springless designs
- Suits standard headroom and most dock and drive-in openings
Best for: docks, drive-in bays, service shops and any opening where insulation and a clean seal matter.
Rolling steel doors
Interlocking steel slats that coil onto a barrel above the opening. Rolling steel takes up very little headroom and side room, and it stands up to heavy use and abuse.
- Compact coil for tight headroom
- Heavy-gauge slats for security and impact resistance
- Insulated slat options available
- Long service life on high-use openings
Best for: openings with limited headroom, security-sensitive openings, and industrial buildings where the door takes a beating.
High-speed doors
Fabric or rigid doors built to open and close in seconds. They cut the time the opening is exposed, which holds the building environment and keeps traffic moving.
- Opening speeds well above a standard sectional or rolling door
- Breakaway or self-repairing curtains on fabric models
- Often paired with a slower insulated door for after-hours security
Best for: high-cycle openings between conditioned spaces, cold storage, food and pharmaceutical facilities, and busy internal traffic doors.
High-speed rubber doors
A rubber curtain on a high-speed operator, built to take impact and keep running.
- Curtain resets after a forklift strike
- Wind-load rated for exterior openings
- Low maintenance in dusty or wet environments
Best for: exterior openings with heavy forklift traffic, wash bays, waste and recycling areas, and any door that gets hit.
Swing/impact doors
Double-acting doors that swing in both directions and close behind the traffic. Usually installed in pairs on internal openings.
Best for: internal traffic between production, storage and shipping, and openings where a forklift or pallet jack pushes straight through.
Fire-rated rolling doors and shutters
Rolling steel doors and shutters tested to close automatically on alarm or fusible link and hold a fire rating across the opening.
Best for: openings in fire separations, between occupancies, and anywhere the building code requires a rated closure. Fire-rated doors need a drop test and reset on a schedule.
Counter shutters and security shutters
Smaller rolling closures for counters, pass-throughs, kiosks, storefronts and internal security openings. Steel, aluminum and grille configurations.
Best for: retail and institutional counters, concession openings, and openings that need to be secured after hours without a full-height door.
Sliding doors
Large sections that slide horizontally on an overhead track, for openings too wide or too tall for a conventional overhead door.
Best for: hangars, oversized equipment bays and openings where headroom rules out a coiling or sectional door.
Counterweight doors
A vertical-lift door balanced by a counterweight rather than springs. ReadyForce Overhead Doors & Docks installs its own proprietary counterweight system, designed for the high-cycle demands of underground parking and industrial openings.
Best for: underground parking entrances, condominium and commercial parking garages, and high-cycle openings where spring fatigue is a maintenance problem.
Doors for underground parking
Underground parking garages combine high cycle counts, vehicle and pedestrian traffic, limited headroom and residents who expect the door to work every time. Rolling steel, sectional and counterweight doors are all used, and the choice usually comes down to headroom, cycle count and how the entry is controlled. Access controls, safety sensors and edge protection are part of the specification, not an add-on.
How to choose
Answer these before you pick a door type.
- Cycle count. How many times a day will it open? High-cycle openings need high-speed or counterweight doors, or a heavy-duty spring package.
- Headroom and side room. Rolling steel for tight headroom. Sectional where there is ceiling room for the tracks.
- Environment. Insulated sections and a tight seal for conditioned space. Rubber for wet, dusty or high-impact openings.
- Security. Heavy-gauge rolling steel or a rated shutter where the opening protects inventory.
- Fire separation. If the opening is in a rated wall, the door has to carry the rating.
- Traffic type. Forklifts, trucks, cars and pedestrians each push the specification a different way.
